Bike poll

Sorry I know I left a lot of bikes out but these are the only choices I would consider to replace my WR 250r. If anyone wants to suggest any other bikes, please leave them below and I will consider adding them.

KTM 500 EXC or a KTM 690 Enduro R.
Actually I might buy the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto next fall if it comes to Canada.
I mainly ride the street, but I do get dirty as much as possible (weekends).

Evol I think I seen you on Super moto Junky? Were you riding another bike? If so how did it compare? I sure would love some more power and effortless wheelies with just throttle. Wish my bike scared me a little bit. LOL My dealer has a leftover 2014 WR450F still in the crate for $6000

Yeah I'm on SMJ. I have tried my friend's KTM 625 SMC and another friend's Husaberg FS650e.
I really love my WRX and I don't want to sell it. That said, I do want to add another bike to my garage. 
I'd get a WR450F if I could plate it, but sadly that won't happen here in Quebec, Canada. Stupid government.

I owned a 2009 Honda CRF450X down here in Connecticut.
I bought it used in November of 2011, got it on the street (legit) so I could legally ride my local trail loop, and sold it in August of 2012 - not even a year of ownership.

What I liked about that bike:

*Excellent straight line stability over rough ground.

*Excellent suspension for going fast over rough ground.

*Great power and torque from the very bottom, through the midrange, and it had decent top end power - plenty for trails and I really enjoyed controlling that power and torque as it was plentiful and (I felt) easy to use.
If you demand instantaneous roostability or wheelieability from practically idle speed, this bike will satisfy your requirements or you are impossible to satisfy - this is when "no replacement for displacement" comes in.

*Nothing broke or went wrong during my ownership, which was riding on my local trail loop practically every weekend.

What I didn't like about the bike:

*There's no free lunch with physics, and suspect anybody who tells you different.
The price for the excellent straight line stability AND that plentiful power and torque was a heavy feel on tighter trails, and guess what the majority of my trail loop was like.  :)

*The flip side of "no replacement for displacement":
All of that great and fun-to-use power and torque requires a larger engine (compared to a 250cc bike) to produce, and with it comes a larger crankshaft, larger generator rotor, and more gyroscopic mass spinning around making for a bike that likes to tell you it would rather be out playing in a big field with rolling hills or in the desert somewhere, not threading through the trees on a woods trail that has been there since 1701.
The mass of the bike's engine (compared to a 250) tends to make the bike resist tighter terrain and prefer open terrain where you can let the engine rip - that's where the bike felt at home to me.
On a scale while at rest, a CRF450X and CRF250X don't weigh a whole lot different from each other.
Out on the tight trails, you'd think the 450 weighed 50% more.
This is why you see smaller bikes still being produced.

*The suspension that felt great on fast sections (few) felt on the firm side for the slow and tight sections (majority).
I went with springs better suited for my weight and had the fork and shock revalved for better performance where I was riding the bike.
It was an improvement, but was still biased toward open terrain and faster riding.
I imagine that, in theory, anyway, with a competent suspension shop, you could achieve whatever your heart desired.

*The air filter was a pain to get in and out of the airbox.
If you rotate the filter when doing this as shown in the Owner's Manual, it was a bit less of a pain.
Somewhere within the Honda factory, there is a team of guys who have an answer as to why it has to be like this.
By comparison, a Yamaha WR250R air filter can practically remove itself.
If you ride off-road, you will be servicing your air filter often.

*I wanted a stronger front brake.

*The clutch lever free play would increase when using the clutch in tight terrain.
This can happen with any bike, but this one was especially noticeable.
I don't mean from intentionally slipping the clutch like I was racing somebody in this case, but just the consequential clutch slipping from pulling the lever in and letting it back out to prevent stalling while negotiating tight trails.
Good thing the clutch cable slack adjuster is one of the current "adjust on the fly" types.

*For street usage, the stock gearing way too low, as you expect from a dirt bike.
If you wanted to live on the street with this bike, you'd need to gear it up considerably.
This will, of course, effect the off-road performance.

*Although this didn't prove to be any sort of problem, I mention it because it could be if you never check or change your oil.
The CRF450X uses the same oiling system as the Honda 4-stroke motocross bikes (CRF250R and CRF450R) which splits the lubrication into two separate cavities - one for the engine (piston, cylinder, crankshaft, camshaft, valve stems, tappets), and one for the clutch and transmission.
Each holds about 750cc, which is about three-quarters of a quart.
Not a whole lot.
If you were to use the bike for some kind of long-distance machine, I'd check the engine oil level often, like a couple times a day.

Thanks for the details. I went to the dealership today and the 14' 450f was gone. They did have a factory demo bike that just come in but it was beat. It was very scratch, been dropped a few time, been rode hard and needed a rear sprocket. I did sit on it and looked it over but didn't make me smile for $4900. Now I feel dirty like I cheated on my girl and have to buy her something expensive to make her happy like a Q4. I've got almost $2k in accessories on my R and think Im gonna ride her another year. Maybe Yamaha will come through this year with a WR450R

I'd go the WR450F but in Aus we buy them from the dealers road legal and registered so there is no hassle there.

Why aren't they sold like that in the US?

stevep84 wrote:

Why aren't they sold like that in the US?

Liability lawyers and EPA regulations.
If it didn't roll out that way, they don't want it on the street.
The factories like Yamaha and Honda will not soon forget fiascos like the ATV Consent Decree and the lawsuits leading up to it.

There was a time when this was easily done in the USA, but those days ended 30-plus years ago.
Now, it depends on each state's laws and regulations - some easy, some so-so with some work required (mine), some not possible at all.

I also believe (and always have) that dirt bike riders are in the extreme minority, especially around where the population is more dense.
For every dirt bike (or just motorcycle - street or dirt) enthusiast, there are 10 average Joes who don't care, as well as several types who are dead-set against it and one or two who are somehow involved with local or regional politics.

I live in Northern Michigan up on lake Superior and the town is not that big. Our town allows any ATV-ORV dirtbike-etc to operate on the city streets with a headlight and tail light. Just have to obey traffic laws and use hand signals. I really don't even have to legalize a 450f but the entire kit is only $158 for the kit.

Sounds like a fine town. :)

YZEtc wrote:

If it didn't roll out that way, they don't want it on the street.

It must be the emissions or something because ours come from the factory with lights and mirrors. Doesn't make sense.

If you're a lawyer working on behalf of the Yamaha factory in Japan, it will make sense.
If you're a motorcycle enthusiast, it's a pain.